Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Clean simple food please!!

Well my French is improving! Today I made an appointment to get both my hair and Miss Bok's hair cut at a salon around the corner.  They spoke no English at all and with my limited high school French a few decades on, we managed to make a time  :)

'Je ve peux air (?!) rendezvous Mercredi s'il vous plait'.  'Ah bon madame!'

Phew.  Times - I can't remember my numbers so thank goodness for pencil and paper and numbers that look the same in French as they do in English!

Hmm.  I wonder what we'll come out looking like.  Anything would be an improvement in my mind though!  I might have to post you a photo afterwards...but then you might see what I look like and never come back to visit my blog ever again!!    

Last night we did a very touristy thing and had dinner up the Eiffel Tower.  It was a lot better than I was expecting and the waiter was very charming.



Children's meal of chicken was lovely too although Master Bok preferred looking out the window at the sparkling lights.
Children's dessert of a chocolate mousse cake in the shape of the eiffel tower was cute
Miss Bok actually fell asleep during dessert. The kids have been great travellers - so pleasantly surprising!

 Paris by night is stunning.  Sigh.  



Today we visited the Opera and also did a bit of shopping.  Rather, Mr Bok shopped whilst I ate  ;)






 

 

On the walk back 'home' we passed by more interesting doors with fabulous handles! 

 


Those are not tampons! 'Les tampons' - no idea what that means, but they are cute little stamps in the shape of vegetables!  Miss Bok picked them out and the toadstool magnifying glass too.  The macaron and the chocolate were for moi.  To be honest I'm getting a bit over macaron...!  Never thought that would be possible.  I'm starting to crave clean, plain food...


For dejeuner tonight, we went to Cafe Constant which is local, about a 3 minute walk away.  I went there for dinner on Saturday night when Jo and James were visiting from London and liked it so much, we returned tonight with the children.  Such a lovely friendly place, the wait staff were so helpful and the food just divine.  Christian Constant is a celebrated French chef and Cafe Constant is his more casual dining bistro.  Excellent value for money though compared to the other places we've seen.  Once again, my French was understood and I was even offered the French menu  :)  I have more to thank my old french teacher for than I thought!  Even though I tried to lock her into a window and spent many lessons persuading her to listen to my budgie speaking French (and wasting much time too) or skipping class altogether, it seems some things stuck.


 
Master Bok (2) has an entree of a warm prawn tart - yum!  The other entree is a crab and fennel salad

 
Terrible photography using my phone, but this duck with crispy apple pie was brilliant. My prawns were pretty good too.  Didn't take pics of the other food, it all went rather too quickly...


 
Letting ourselves back into our apartment after a lovely dinner (doesn't get dark until after 10pm here)

The days are passing so quickly...probably a good thing for our credit cards (spent almost exclusively on food) that we leave Paris this Thursday.  It is incredibly expensive here.  Having an apartment with a kitchen for cooking and living next to a market street does help, but goodness, I think our house renos will have to wait quite a bit longer so we can enjoy France and eat French food!  You only live once or so we think.  Who knows when we'll next be back here.  So for now, within reason, we are enjoying!


20 comments:

  1. Gosh I wish I were there with you! Just wonderful! I love every minute in Paris...actually I love every minute in France. Usually 10 days in Paris and 10 days in Nice...then home.

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  2. How kind of you to wright on my blogg from Paris!All these pitcures make me hungry :-)
    Hugs from me!

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  3. All this absolutely stunning Parisian-ness is killing me!! Those cakes! Dinner at the Eiffel Tower! Oh my. I'm not sure I ever felt s happy as when I went to the top of the Eiffel Tower in the evening with all the lights. Amazing!
    Not so sure bout those "les tampons"????

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  4. How can you fall asleep during dessert in PARIS?!!! Supremely jealous here... it sounds wonderful! gxo

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  5. Thanks so much for sharing (and inspiring!). I do plan to catch up with some permaculture people in France and I've just seen an article about how Transition Towns are taking off over there too... so I'll chase that up. We plan to be there for many months living on a canal boat. Love, love, love the pic of Master Bok and his entree too :)

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  6. How beautiful - thanks for showing such a personal experience of France, and from a family's point of view. Do show us your hair, my dad's a hairdresser and is the only one ever to cut my hair - I was temped while in Bali but chickened out! Also, I love seeing the pics of your meals. My hubby gave me a hard time when I took pics of our meals saying "no-one would want to see them", But we REALLY, REALLY do - so thanks again. Take care and enjoy the salon experience!!

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  7. You're killing me with the food photos... now I am SO hungry and having frugal soup for lunch!! Ah, but it's so marvellous seeing your adventures...

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  8. I have always wanted to go to Paris. The photos of Paris at night are especially charming. Love the pictures of the kids.

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  9. Gorgeous! Thanks for the images of the doors - Europe is so rich in the detail for things like that. Last time we were in Paris we didn't know how to change nappies - sigh...

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  10. How sweet is your little boy skipping hippity hop up the path with his teddy. The food looks amazing.
    Breathe in that french air for me....ahhh...

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  11. The food (especially the sweets) looks incredible. What a superb experience to eat dinner at the top of the eiffel tower! (wow) Are you going to Ireland next? Kelli

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  12. I love all your images, the restaurants, the food, the lights, the patisseries...sigh!...everything looks heavenly :) Thanks for sharing :)
    Claudia xo

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  13. Hehe the children look so adorable! And I wondered what the restaurant in the Eiffel Tower was like! I love that pink cake with the white dots on top of it too! :) Ahh cakes!

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  14. I am loving the the photos of your holiday, love the food shots. Looks like your still having fun, I am glad the kids are being good for you.

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  15. Woderful photos, thanks for sharing them! And all those gastronomic delights!

    I do miss Paris, must visit again soon :)

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  16. So much fun! Thanks for the virtual holiday Mrs B! :)

    While you're in Paris, you might want to put a lock on the Pont des Arts like my friend Roz did recently.. :)

    http://tastetravel.org/

    PS. Her blog has lots of posts about Paris, with lots of places to visit while you're there!

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  17. Love your blog and photos, did you see my reply.Seems I have to sign in with my google account to leave you a message, just as well I have a gmail account. a bientot Roz

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  18. Hello!

    Thanks for accompanying me on my journey through France :) It's lovely to have your company!!

    Hi Roz! I see you now! :) Sorry it's taken me a while to respond.
    Hi Celia! We left our own lock on the weekend, hope it stays just a little while!
    Hi Mark & Gaz, definitely revisit Paris, the food and produce is so good!
    Hi Greenthumb and Brydie, the kids have been so good it's so unusual for them :)
    Hi Lorraine, dinner at the eiffel tower was better than expected but really our star has been Christian Constant, his food is amazing.
    Hi Claudia! Hi Brendan! It's my first time in Paris and it really is amazing, I'll definitely be back!
    Hi Kelli, on to the Loire next and then Ireland! Woo hoo!
    Hi Bellasmum, Sarah and Dixiebelle - yes Paris is gorgeous at night!
    Sonya, your canal boat adventure sounds so romantic and just wonderful.
    Hi Lynda, Helena and Georgie - not sure how Miss Bok fell asleep during dessert it was so yummy!
    Hi Yollie - going to get our hair cut now! Eek!

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  19. Love your chickens! Your Paris pics are great, gives one a real feel for the city.

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  20. And we never thought that we would use our high school knowledge. I took many years of Spanish, but can only manage Coma Esta? You did well to make hair appointments. Well done. And food art? How do you eat such beauty. I hope your children are having a wonderful time and appreciating the wonderful learning experience.

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